Walking Tours

Kensington Market and Chinatown Self-Guided Audio Walk: Bellevue Square, Spadina, the AGO and the Grange

Walk Kensington Market's narrow streets and Chinatown's busiest corner, then on past the Art Gallery of Ontario to Grange Park.
See the domed Kiever Synagogue, Bellevue Square, Spadina Avenue, Gehry's glass gallery front and OCAD's tabletop on stilts.
Learn how houses grew shops over their front yards, and why Toronto's Chinatown moved to Spadina.
Finish in Grange Park at the Grange, which the City calls its oldest brick house, with Gehry's blue tower behind.
11 stops over 1.8 km, about 85 minutes, with English audio you start whenever you like.

Self-guided English audioguide, 11 stops, 85 minutes
Stops at Kiever Synagogue, Bellevue Square, Spadina Avenue
GPS map, browser access, no app needed
Lifetime access, start anytime, replay anytime

Live guide
Fixed start time
Museum and monument tickets
Food and drinks
Tips or gratuities

You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

Kensington Market's houses never really went away. Look up and you see the old gables; look down and a shop has been built right over the front yard. Once you know the trick, you can read the whole neighbourhood.
Start at the twin-domed Kiever Synagogue and Bellevue Square, where actor Al Waxman stands in bronze, then loop through the food streets of Augusta, Baldwin and Kensington Avenue. Walk down wide Spadina to Chinatown's busiest corner and hear how the first Chinatown was cleared for City Hall and a new one grew here.

Follow Dundas past Jean Lumb Lane to Frank Gehry's glass and timber front for the Art Gallery of Ontario and OCAD's black-and-white box on stilts, then finish in Grange Park at the Grange, which the City calls its oldest brick house, with Gehry's blue tower rising behind it.

Eleven stops, about 2 km and 90 minutes, in English and at your own pace. Start whenever you like and stop to eat on the way.

What to bring

Ticket access: Enter your ticket code on the Roamer redemption page from your confirmation before you set off.

Phone: Bring a fully charged smartphone to run the GPS map and audio walk in your browser.

Earphones: Bring your own earphones so you can hear the commentary clearly as you walk.

Connectivity: Use mobile data if you can, or open the tour on Wi-Fi before you start if you have no data.

What's not allowed

Synagogue etiquette: Do not photograph worshippers at the Kiever Synagogue and respect people on the steps during services.

Private property: Do not enter homes, shops, places of worship, or university buildings that are not open to the public.

Additional information

Tour launch: Open the tour from the Roamer link in your confirmation while you still have signal so it loads correctly.

Best time to walk: Walk in daytime, ideally late morning to mid-afternoon when the market is open and lively.

AGO opening: The Art Gallery of Ontario is closed on Mondays, so plan another day if you want to go inside.

AGO free entry: The gallery is free on the first Wednesday evening each month with an online timed ticket; Ontario under-25s get free entry with an AGO Pass.

Market atmosphere: Expect the market to be busiest and most crowded on weekends, especially in peak daytime hours.

Pedestrian Sundays: On Pedestrian Sundays, market streets close to cars and become very crowded from noon to early evening.

Specific 2026 date: The last 2026 Pedestrian Sunday is 25 October, from noon to 7 p.m., when streets are closed to cars.

Come hungry: You pass food spots on Augusta, Baldwin, and later in Chinatown, so arrive ready to stop for snacks or meals.

Vintage shops detour: Kensington Avenue vintage shops sit on the south block between St Andrew Street and Dundas, just off the route.

Extra sights: From Dundas and Spadina, you can walk to Graffiti Alley near Queen Street West if you want a longer outing.

Casa Loma note: Casa Loma is a separate, ticketed attraction away from this walk, so check its own details if you plan to visit.

Streetcar notice: On Sunday 4 October 2026, 505 Dundas streetcars are partly diverted for a run, with no service on part of Dundas.

Sidewalks and traffic: Expect narrow, busy pavements and watch for cars and cyclists on market streets with some unmarked crossings.

Safe crossings: Cross Spadina, Dundas, Beverley, and McCaul at Dundas only at traffic lights, and wait for cars to stop at the McCaul zebra crossing.

Park hours: Bellevue Square and Grange Park are closed overnight from 12:01 a.m. to 5:30 a.m.

Construction note: A new Art Gallery of Ontario wing was under construction in 2026, so you may see fencing around the site.

Respect for locals: Most buildings on the walk are lived-in or in daily use, so stay on the pavement and respect residents and users.